A Hungarian startup called Codie, that successfully raised $96,306 back in May 2015 via crowdfunding platformIndiegogo, has started shipping its robotic toy. The device offers a fun way to teach kids how to code. The campaign was so successful that it raised one third of its funding goal in only two days, and ended up exceeding it by 115%.

A UK registered company based in Bristol called OXY Technologies, has launched a campaign on Indiegogofor a smartwatch that will be able to connect with Android, iOS and Windows 10 smartphones.The makers are working with the open source community to accelerate development, and improve the product.

Pillow Talk is a smart pillow that connects to a wristband via an app. It works by live streaming the sound of your loved one's heartbeat directly to the pillow thanks to a tiny little speaker. I met Joanna Montgomery, founder of Little Riot, the company behind the product, at TechCrunch Disrupt in London last week. She was extremely passionate about her product, and provisionally agreed to speak at our LoveTech event that will take place in Edinburgh on 15th February 2016.

Hello Barbie is set to become one of the hottest toys this holiday season. The wi-fi enabled doll comes with an app that enables the plastic princess to record and play back speech. Sounds like fun, until parents discover that hackers could utilise vulnerabilities in the toy's software to spy on their children! It could also be used to collect personal data, such as the home addresses of children and recordings of them talking to the doll.

﻿Experts have been talking about the potential of wireless charging for a while now, but so far not a single commercial product capable of wirelessly charging has entered production. I remember watching a TED talk by Eric Giler of MIT, in which he told the audience that within the near future, our wired lives would become untangled. He then went on to demo a prototype wireless charging technology called WiTricity, which back in 2009, when he did the talk, was supposed to be a "near-to-market" invention.

Luke Roberts, the makers of Fluxo, claim that it's the world’s first smart LED lamp. On the basis that I've come across plenty of smart bulbs like the Misfit Bolt and the Hue, but never a smart lamp, I'll assume this claim is correct. Like the aforementioned smart bulbs, FLUXO can be controlled via a smartphone or tablet, enabling an entire room to become dynamically “painted” with whatever colour you desire, at the click of a button.

This weekend over 50,000 people are attending Brick2015, an annual Lego convention taking place at ExCel in London. I have been invited by a Hungarian-based company called Vengit that's exhibiting a prototype of their latest product, "Towers Game". The eventual aim is that the game will enable up to sixteen opponents to construct Lego towers armed with catapults. You can probably guess the rest...

According to the BBC, the Japanese police are in the process of setting up a special unit that will protect important buildings and areas throughout Tokyo from bad drones. New recruits will be trained to fly large industrial-sized drones, the type normally used by the oil and gas industry to inspect industrial assets like pipelines and flare stacks, to remove smaller drones out of the sky.

The Parrot micro-drone and hydrofoil only costs £139.99 ($179.00). It is essentially, well, a small drone attached to a hydrofoil, but what a great combo! As the boat surges forward, carried by the Parrot, it is lifted almost entirely out of the water to reduce drag, thereby making the boat go faster. The micro-drone propels the boat forward by rotating upwards.

ONAGOfly is a micro-drone with an on-board camera so it can take stills and record video. It can be controlled via a smartphone and comes with infrared obstacle avoidance. Pledges start at $179 for the first 200 units, and $199 thereafter. The company's estimated shipping date is February 2016.

MATRIX is a smart hub for the home and workplace that can be used to carry out a wide range of tasks. Its creators have designed it to be open, which means third party developers can produce apps that can be used to utilise its incredible versatility and power. The company's Kickstarter campaign, which is about to end, has so far raised over $100,000.

Brick 2015 is coming to town this weekend. The Lego-themed event will take place at the Excel conference centre in London's Docklands Dec 11-13. Not only will there be seasonal displays such as a snowman constructed using over 250 thousand bricks, but attendees will also be able to checkout Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Batman-inspired Lego creations. In addition, SmartBrick will be there.

Chronos turns a watch into a smartwatch. It lights up and vibrates when messages, calls, or notifications are received. The device will cost around $100 (£65) when it goes on sale next year, meaning that conventional watch owners will get all the benefits of owning a smartwatch without having to buy one. Obviously, the Chronos is more of a substitute for pseudo smartwatches like the Activite Pop, as it lacks many of the features offered by more sophisticated ones that run apps, and feature touchscreens.

Omate announced today that they will be holding a flash sale of their new 3G enabled smartwatch, the Omate Rise, exclusively on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The company will be accepting pre-orders from 3pm GMT / 10am EST on Monday December 7th, for a 48hr period. Backers will be the first in the World to wear the Rise when it becomes available to them in March 2016, instead of June.

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